If asked to paraphrase Deuteronomy 6:5, I would say that God is asking us to love Him with everything that we are. Inside & outside. Mental, emotional, spiritual, physical — everything. Or as Sarah Young writes: “I want to be Central in your entire being. “(See June 3, Jesus Calling). Central in everything. Every part, every aspect.

Of course, we will never achieve it perfectly on this side of life. That’s why we need Jesus. But we can aim for it. We can strive towards it, knowing that every effort counts. Knowing that God is cheering us on because He wants it for us too. And if God is for us, who can be against us!?

To give God my heart.

To give God my mind.

To give God my body.

To give God everything.

Wholeness. Unity. Integration — within ourselves and with God. To love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. To pursue peace — within and without — today and everyday.